First wave of Syrian refugees land tonight on Canadian soil

TORONTO, ON. (NEWS 1130) – More than three months after the world was galvanized into acting by the picture of a little boy lying face down on a beach in Turkey, the first military plane with refugees from Syria is set to arrive in Canada tonight.

They will be greeted at Pearson International Airport in Toronto by none other than Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

There will be roughly 150 refugees on board. The flight will land at about 6 p.m. (PT).

“We have no idea what they have been through. We don’t know where they are coming from, how much they’ve suffered, so we should try to be as helpful as we can,” says one woman who is sponsoring a family.

The refugees will first make a stop at a specialized boarder screening centre which will offer warm clothes, food, a play area for children and a space to rest for the parents.

A temporary processing centre has also been set up at Pearson International to get the newcomers settled with permanent residence status, a social insurance number and there will also be medical screening.

Meantime, administrators at Vancouver International Airport are also getting ready to welcome refugees from Syria.

Reception areas have been expanded and groups of greeters have been trained and will be brought in when the first wave of families arrives.

“Our job then is to ensure that in the welcome centre that it’s provisioned properly in term food and water as they complete the process before they move on to their final destination,” explains Steve Hankinson with YVR who adds translators will also be on hand helping people adjust.

Where will the refugees settle here in BC once they get out of the airport? It appears as though Vancouver will get most of the privately-sponsored families coming to the province. The city will accept 54 people, while New Westminster will get 49. Other local communities welcoming refugees include Surrey, Coquitlam and Langley.